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Coolant flow on FD (for Dave, Matt and Eduardo)

Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:14
by speedjunkie
This is what I was talking about this past weekend. It's weird, but apparently true.

From this thread...
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=965085&highlight=coolant+flow

Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:14
by chickenwafer
I have that diagram saved on my laptop. It makes sense. I think the only hose in question of it's flow path was the hose off the lower radiator hose.

Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:14
by alpha
In my opinion he has the arrows on 2 and 3 going the wrong direction.

You can think of it this way: in most cars the pump has to pull fluid from the coldest and lowest point in the system or the antifreeze will steam and the pump will cavitate. Therefore, the bottom of the radiator is almost always the suction point of the pump. His Mazda coolant flow chart agrees with this statement.

This means his #4 is the heater core return line, since it is clearly on the suction side of the pump (although the heater path is not shown in his flowchart).

Looking at my car, I can see that #3 attaches to the same place as #4. Which again would be the suction side of the pump, and therefore must be the "return" or "drain" from the turbos. Even the flowchart shows the "upward" nature of the "from turbos to WP" hose.

The "from WP to turbos" feed line looks higher and "flatter". This should be pumped coolant coming out of connection #2.

I realize that "KKMpunkrock2011" said it was the other way, but that's not how the flowchart reads.

Why is it I always seem to make things worse? :rolleyes:
Matt

Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:14
by speedjunkie
Actually, now that I think about it, it looks like they are both suction side and would be pulling coolant. The coolant should be flowing past that higher turbo nipple and down into the radiator. Also, why would they have the coolant run through the hot turbo and then back into the engine without going through the radiator first? I'm going to look for a turbo coolant flow diagram.

EDIT: Nevermind, I see the turbos in this diagram now. So it's saying the top nipple is pushing coolant and the bottom one is going back into the system? I can't tell.

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:14
by alpha
speedjunkie wrote: why would they have the coolant run through the hot turbo and then back into the engine without going through the radiator first?


I thought that was odd as well, but this arrangement is the best way to ensure the turbos will always have coolant flow. Also, the engine has a lot more thermal mass so the added heat from those small turbo lines should be negligible.

speedjunkie wrote: So it's saying the top nipple is pushing coolant and the bottom one is going back into the system?


That's how I read it. I can almost guarantee that connection #3 is a suction. It would be nice to see the internal arrangement of #2.

Matt

Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:14
by speedjunkie
Well I need to make sure this is correct for when I put that new turbo in...I can't afford to keep going through turbos lol.